Clinical features and effectiveness of Chinese medicine in patients with COVID-19 from overseas: A retrospective study in Xiamen, China.

COVID-19, referred to as new coronary pneumonia, is an acute infectious disease caused by a new type of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. To evaluate the effect of integrated Chinese medicine and Western medicine in patients with COVID-19 from overseas. Data were collected from 178 COVID-19 patients overseas at First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University from April 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021. These patients received therapy of integrated Chinese medicine and western medicine. Demographic data and clinical characteristics were extracted and analyzed. In addition, the prescription which induced less length of PCR positive days and hospitalization days than the median value was obtained. The top 4 frequently used Chinese medicine and virus-related genes were analyzed by network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis. According to the chest computed tomography (CT) measurement, abnormal lung findings were observed in 145 subjects. The median length of positive PCR/hospitalization days was 7/7 days for asymptomatic subjects, 14/24 days for mild subjects, 10/15 days for moderate subjects, and 14/20 days for severe subjects. The most frequently used Chinese medicine were Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin), Glycyrrhiza uralensis (Gancao), Bupleurum chinense (Chaihu), and Pinellia ternata (Banxia). The putative active ingredients were baicalin, stigmasterol, sigmoidin-B, cubebin, and troxerutin. ACE, SARS-CoV-2 3CL, SARS-CoV-2 Spike, SARS-CoV-2 ORF7a, and caspase-6 showed good binding properties to active ingredients. In conclusion, the clinical results showed that integrated Chinese medicine and Western medicine are effective in treating COVID-19 patients from overseas. Based on the clinical outcomes, the putative ingredients from Chinese medicine and the potential targets of SARS-CoV-2 were provided, which could provide a reference for the clinical application of Chinese medicine in treating COVID-19 worldwide.

Sequence-specific amperometric detection based on a double-probe mode and enzyme-mediated multiple signal electrocatalysis for the double-stranded DNA of PML/RARα-related fusion gene.

A new electrochemical DNA biosensor based on double-probe mode and enzyme-mediated multiple signal electrocatalysis is constructed for the highly sensitive determination of double-stranded (ds-) PML/RARα fusion gene. Through the ingenious design of two groups of detection probes, including two thiolated capture probes anchored on dual standalone detection units integrated into one customized gold electrode and four biotinylated reporter probes, hybridizing with different segments of the same target single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) simultaneously, the hybridization efficiency between the probes and target is improved by preventing the reannealing of the two separate target ssDNA. Compared with a single reporter probe, this method can dramatically increase the amount of biotin and introduce numerous streptavidin-labelled horseradish peroxidase (HRP), thereby significantly amplifying electrochemical signals with low background signals. The combination of the dual-probe mode, multiple signal amplification strategy, and the inherent electrocatalytic activity of the HRP results in the prominent electrochemical sensing performance in detecting large-fragment target dsDNA with a detection limit as low as 71 fM. Furthermore, taking advantage of the new detection strategy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products and enzyme-digested PCR products from NB4 cells can be effectively analysed, showing great promise for the development of a new class of point-of-care platforms for disease-/drug-related genes.

[Studies on the phenolic acids from Sarcopyramis bodinieri var. delicata].

OBJECTIVE: To study the chemical constituents from Sarcopyramis bodinieri var. delicata. METHODS: These compounds were isolated and purified by chromatography with silica gel column combined with Sephadex LH-20 column from high polar extracts. The structures were identified on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis, and by comparison of their spectral data with those reported. RESULTS: Seven compounds were isolated as 3, 3'-di-O-methylellagic acid-4'-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (I), ellagic acid (II), ferulic acid (III), isoferulic acid (IV), caffeic acid (V), 3, 4-di-hydroxybenzoic acid (VI), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (VII). CONCLUSION: Compound I, III, VI, VII are isolated from the genus for the first time.

Diagnosis and treatment of diffuse axonal injury in 169 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate current diagnosis and therapeutic effect and outcome of diffuse axonal injury (DAI) in 169 patients. METHODS: The data of 169 DAI patients treated in the Second, Sixth, Eighth and Ninth Hospitals of Shenzhen and Shekou Hospital from January 2001 to January 2005 were collected. The imaging features, classification, GCS (Glasgow coma scale), treatment and outcome of the 169 patients were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The simpler the imaging features, the closer the focus of DAI to the periphery of hemisphere and the higher the GCS score, the better the prognoses of DAI patients will be. CONCLUSIONS: The prognoses of DAI patients are closely related to the imaging features and classification, GCS and clinical treatment.

Treatment of very severe brain injuries.

OBJECTIVE: To sum up the experience in treating very severe traumatic brain injuries. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 68 patients with very severe traumatic brain injuries treated in our hospital from 1997 to 2002 was done. RESULTS: Forty-one (60%) patients died. In the 50 patients treated surgically 27 (40%) survived, 8 recovered well, 9 had moderate disability and 10 had severe deficits. The 18 patients treated non-operatively all died. CONCLUSIONS: Much attention should be given to the observation of the changes of severe brain injuries with cranial base injury. Timely operative decompression, basic life support, keeping effective brain blood perfusion and effective oxygen supply, improving cerebral microcirculation and preventing or controlling complications are the main methods to raise the successful rate of treating very severe brain injuries and the life quality of the patients.

[Application of non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring on high-risk surgical patients in the early stages after emergency admission].

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary artery (PA) catheterization monitoring (Swan-Ganz) is usually not available to critically high-risk surgical patients before admission to ICU, where action to correct values derived from such monitoring may be too late. To explored the effect of non-invasive monitoring systems that allow hemodynamic monitoring during the early stages after trauma. METHODS: The early temporal hemodynamic patterns after high-risk trauma with non-invasive monitoring systems were evaluated, and compared these to invasive PA monitoring. The study included 156 patients monitored shortly after admission to the emergency department. RESULTS: The non-invasive impedance cardiac output estimations under extenuating emergency conditions were similar to those of the thermodilution method: r=0.69, r(2)=0.87, P<0.001; bias and precision were (0.62+/-0.38)L. min(-1).m(-2). In ICU, these values improved further to: r=0.84, r(2)=0.93, P<0.001; bias and precision were (0.36+/-0.15) L.min(-1).m(-2). Monitoring revealed episodes of hypotension, low cardiac index, arterial hemoglobin desaturation, low transcutaneous oxygen and high transcutaneous carbon dioxide tension, and low oxygen consumption during initial resuscitation. Low flow and poor tissue perfusion were more pronounced in non-survivors by both METHODS. CONCLUSION: Multicomponent non-invasive monitoring systems offer continuous on-line, real-time display of hemodynamic data, they allow early recognition of circulatory dysfunction. Such systems provide information similar to that provided by the invasive thermodilution method, and are more effective and safer.